This invention relates to a novel heat exchanger which incorporates a phase change material as an integral part of the unit. More particularly, this invention relates to a relatively inexpensive, lightweight and structurally strong phase change heat exchanger unit which can be used in series, parallel and/or stacked array to provide any desired amount of heat storage and/or heat exchange.
Many heat exchangers suffer from the disadvantage that they are constructed of heavy structurally strong materials and must be assembled in a particular size in the factory. Such heat exchangers which use phase change materials suffer from further disadvantage of high transportation costs for the relatively heavy phase change material if it is formed as part of the heat exchanger in the factory or with having to handle the phase change material and insert it into the unit when it is placed in service. Such heat exchangers allow the user little or no flexibility in changing the size or capacity of the heat exchanger after it is placed in service.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a phase change heat exchange unit which will provide the user with maximum flexibilty in initially designing and later changing the size and capacity of the heat exchange device in which the unit is used. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a relatively lightweight inexpensive phase change heat exchange unit. Another object is to allow ease of handling of the phase change material.